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COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION
CANADA

Fishways i the Inland Waters
of British Columbia

BY

ARTHUR V. WHITE

Consulting Engineer
Commission of Conservation

COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

Dr. C.-C. Jones, Chairman Hon. A. B. Hupson
Hon. A. E. ARSENAULT Dr. Howarp MurRRAY
Mk. J. P. BasBcock Hon. T. D. PATTULLO
Hon. O. T. DANIELS Dr. J. W. ROBERTSON
Hon. G. H. FERGUSON Hon. E. A. SMITH

OTTAWA—1918

Commission of Conservation

Constituted under ‘‘The Conservation Act,” 8-9 Edward VII., Chap. 27, 1909, and
amending Acts, 9-10 Edward VII, Chap. 42, 1910, and 3-4 George V,
Chap. 12, 1913.

Chairman:
Sir CLIFFORD SiFTON, K.C.M.G.

Members:

Dr. Howarp Murray, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S.
Dr. Geel. C. Jones, Chancellor, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton,

Mr. WriiaM B. SNowWBALL, Chatham, N.B.

Hon. Henri S. BELAND, M.D., M.P., St. Joseph-de-Beauce, Que.

Dr. Frank D. Apams, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science, McGill University,
Montreal, Que.

Mer. CHartes P. CHOQUETTE, St. Hyacinthe, Que., Professor, Seminary of
St. Hyacinthe and Member of Faculty, Laval University.

Mr. Epwarp Gogirr, St. Laurent, Que.

Mr. W. F. Tye, C.E., Montreal, Que.

Dr. James W. RoBertson, C.M.G., Ottawa, Ont.

Hon. SENATOR WILLIAM CAMERON Epwarps, Ottawa, Ont.

Mr. Cuartes A. McCoo, Pembroke, Ont.

Str Epmunp B. Oster, M.P., Toronto, Ont.

Mr. Joun F. MacKay, Business Manager, The Globe, Toronto, Ont.

Dr. = E. FEernow, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, Toronto,

nt.

Dr. GEORGE Bryce, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.

Dr. Witt1aM J. RUTHERFORD, Member of Faculty, University of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon, Sask.

Dr. Henry M. Tory, President, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.

Mr. JoHNn Pease Bascock, Victoria, B.C

Members ex-officio:

Hon. T. A. CreraAr, Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa.

Hon. ArTHUR MEIGHEN, Minister of the Interior, Ottawa.

Hon. Martin BurRELL, Minister of Mines, Ottawa.

Hoe nes E. ARSENAULT, Premier, Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown,

Hon. Ortanpo T. DaAnIELs, Attorney-General, Nova-Scotia.

Hon, E. A. SmitH, Minister of Lands and Mines, New Brunswick.

Hon. JuLes ALLARD, Minister of Lands and Forests, Quebec.

Hon. G. H. Fercuson, Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, Ontario.

Hon. THomas H. Jounson, Attorney-General, Manitoba.

Hon. GEorGE W. Brown, Regina, Saskatchewan.

ae Stewart, Premier, Minister of Railways and Telephones,
rta.

Hon. T. D. Patrutto, Minister of Lands, British Columbia.

Assistant to Chairman, Deputy Head:
Mr. JAMES WHITE.

Fishways in the Inland Waters of British Columbia

SpeciAL NEED FOR PROVIDING FISHWAYS IN CONNECTION WITH
WATER-POWER DEVELOPMENTS IN ORDER TO CONSERVE
THE SALMON INDUSTRY

HE fisheries of British Columbia, being not only one of the

chief provincial industries, but also an important source of

food supply, are worthy of the best efforts that can be exerted for
their conservation. ;

In the carrying out of development works, whether for navigation,
irrigation or power, provision requires to be made for the upward
migration of the adult salmon for spawning purposes and for the down-
ward passage of the young fish to the sea. Besides the salmon, other
fish require consideration.

The serious consequences to the fishing resources, resulting from
obstructions which prevent the free passage of salmon and other fish,
have been amply demonstrated. This subject is one so vital in its
bearing upon power development and yet one so frequently passed
over, that it is desirable to submit the subject to special discussion;
in fact, the whole question of the effect of obstructions upon the fishing
industry and the efficacy of fishways as a means of overcoming the
menace of such obstructions, requires thorough investigation.

Practically all of the Pacific Coast streams of British Columbia
and their tributaries are annually frequented by vast numbers of
Pacific salmon, consequently the salmon fishing industry is one of the
most important interests to be safeguarded in the carrying out of
works which will materially affect the inland waterways.

As indicating the importance of this industry, it may be cited
that in the big salmon year of 1909, canned salmon products to the
value of $7,750,000 were marketed. For the fiscal year ending March
31, 1914, which includes the ‘big year’ run of 1913, the marketed
product was valued at $10,243,670, while the total value of all fish
marketed was $13,891,398, or over 40 per cent of the total value of
the fishery products of Canada. The 1913 salmon pack comprised
over 1,350,000 cases—the largest output in the history of the industry.
In the twenty years prior to 1915 the canneries of British Columbia
produced an aggregate of over sixteen million cases of canned salmon—
each case containing 48 pounds of dressed fish—representing a catch

4 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION

of over 200,000,000 salmon. It is estimated that about 18,000 persons
are engaged in this industry and over $8,000,000 is invested in fishing
and canning equipment.*

To better appreciate the possible effects which the construction
of dams, diversion canals and other works may have upon the fishing
industry, it is necessary to understand the habits of the salt-water
fish which ascend the fresh-water streams.

Investigationt has established the fact that all five varieties of the
Pacific Salmon—the Sockeye or Blue Back salmon (Oncorhynchus
nerka); Spring, Quinnat, Chinook or Tyee salmon (0. tschawytscha) ;
Cohoe or Silver salmon (O. Risutch); Humpback (0. gorbusca); Dog
or Chum (O. keta)—enter the streams from March to December for
the purpose of depositing their ova. After spawning all the salmon
die. Two of the five species, the sockeye and the spring, seek the
extreme headwaters of the largest streams and there deposit their
spawn. The sockeye, commercially the most important salmon, spawn
in the streams tributary to the large lakes, or in the sand and gravel
shoals along the shores of the lakes.

The seaward migration of the young sockeye begins in April and
continues to August; they consist of two sizes, representing two ages.
The smaller comprise fry 14 inches in length and are hatched from
eggs of the preceding autumn, while the larger fry are yearlings, which,
having remained in the lakes during the first year, have attained a
length of 3 to 4 inches. The spring, cohoe, humpback and dog salmon
spawn in the waters of streams that are not tributary to the large lakes,
and the majority of their young migrate to the sea during the follow-
ing spring and summer, at which time they average 1} inches. In
moving downstream the young salmon hug the banks, apparently
preferring the shallow water. There is, annually, an upward migra-
tion, from March to November or December, of great numbers of the
adults of the five species of the Pacific salmon; and an annual down-

* For statistics relating to the fishing industry of the Province, consult the
Offictal Year Book of British Columbia and Manual of Provincial Information for
1911, by R. E. Gosnell, pp. 203 to 226, also Annual Reports of the Commissioner
of Fsshertes, Victoria, B.C. The reports for 1913 to 1915 contain interesting contri-
butions to the life-history of the sockeye salmon. Consult also article ‘The Fisheries
of British Columbia,’ in Lands, Fisheries and Minerals, Commission of Conservation,
Ottawa, 1911; also, other reports of the Commission of Conservation, Ottawa.
For statement respecting ‘Waters Contiguous to the Boundary Line Between
British Columbia and the State of Washington,’ see Report of the Joint Commission
Relative to the Preservation of the Fisherics in Waters Contiguous to Canada and the
United States, Ottawa, 1897, pp. 134 et seg.

+ Many of the comments here made respecting British Columbia salmon are
based npoe statements kindly furnished by Mr. J. P. Babcock, Assistant Commis-
sioner of Fisheries, B.C., and upon reports of the Provincial Fisheries Department.

FISHWAYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 5

stream migration, from March to September, of two distinct ages and
sizes of young salmon. : xo ’

There are therefore, two main features to the problem of safe-:
guarding the fishing interests.in connection with. construction work
for power or other development on the: rivers of British Columbia.
First, it is necessary to permit a sufficient number of adult salmon
satisfactorily to pass all obstructions in order to reach and deposit
their ova upon the spawning beds of the streams;. and, second, to
ensure that the young salmon are afforded a satisfactory passage-
way out to the sea.

Practically all the adult salmon which ascend the streams to
spawn consist of fish of four or five years of age.* That is to say: the
fish which are hatched in one year do not re-ascend the stream to
spawn until four or five years later. Consequently, it is not possible
to evaluate the effects of an obstruction in a salmon stream until the
period for return has elapsed.

Two specific instances of interference with the salmon run may
be here considered.

One of the largest tributaries to the Fraser, and one of the chief
salmon streams, is the Quesnel river. Quesnel lake, with its tribu-
taries, comprises about twenty-five per cent of the entire spawning
area of the Fraser river. Every four years on the Fraser river occurs
what is known as the ‘big year’ run. This took place in 1897, 1901,
1905, 1909 and 1913, and, in the normal course of events, would have
been expected in 1917.

In 1895, the province granted to a mining company the right to
construct a dam at the outlet of the Quesnel lake, but no provision
was made for the passage of the salmon through thedam. The result
was that, following the completion of the dam in 1898, the salmon
were denied access to the spawning grounds of Quesnel lake, and,
without having spawned, perished in countless thousands in the river
below. Sufficient gold was not found to warrant a continuance of
mining operations, and hence the gates, which had been closed for a

* The proportion of four and five-year-old fish varies between very wide limits.
On the Fraser river, which is the only large stream of the Province possessing a race
of sockeye which mature principally in their fourth year, about 80 per cent, on an
average, are four-year-old fish. This figure is based on investigation extending over
some years. On some other rivers the proportion of five-year-old fish exceeds that
of four-year-old fish. Interesting details of these investigations are given in the
Annual Reports of the Commissioner of Fisheries, British Columbia.

6 COMMISSION-OF CONSERVATION

part of two seasons, were opened. This provided sufficient water to
permit the salmon to reach the head of the river, but, owing to the
strong currents at the sluiceways, did not permit ingress of salmon to
the lake, and hence for five years the fish continued: to mass and die
below the dam, while the spawning beds of Quesnel lake remained
barren of sockeye salmon. In the ‘big year’ of 1901, the run to the
Quesnel river was very large, but, owing to the failure to provide a
fishway, the spawning grounds of the lake remained unseeded that
year. The pack of 1905 was 500,000 cases less than in 1901, and has
commonly been attributed to failure in the seeding of the beds of the
Quesnel in 1901. In 1903, the Provincial Government constructed a
fishway, and, in 1905, several million sockeye undoubtedly entered
Quesnel lake, and the large spawning area apparently was well seeded.
The run of sockeye in 1909 was believed to have exceeded that of any
former year, and it has been estimated that 4,000,000 adult sockeye
salmon entered Quesnel lake through this fishway.* :

In 1913 and 1914, during the construction of the Canadian
Northern railway, a rock slide in the canon above Yale caused a
serious blocking of the Fraser river. The slide produced currents and
eddies of such character as resulted in the holding back of millions of
salmon. This obstruction was more serious than that at Quesnel
lake, as it affected a larger area. Reports from the various spawning
grounds showed that the run reaching the grounds in 1913 was much
below that of former big years. At Quesnel lake, where facilities
existed for making an accurate estimate, only about 550,000 salmon
passed through the fishway, as compared with 4,000,000 in
1909.

The assistant to the Commissioner of Fisheries of British Colum-
bia, in his report respecting conditions below the obstruction on the
Fraser, stated: ‘The waters of the lagoon at the mouth of the Spuzzum
were literally filled with sockeye, and the stream itself was also
crowded for the mile and one-half of its length to the falls,....Fora
distance of three miles and a half, from the Skuzzy rapids to Hell’s-
gate below, the surface of all the eddies and the slack waters were
covered with sockeye,’’t....

ti Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries, British Columbia, 1909,
pp. i-

+ See ‘Report on the Obstructed Condition of the Fraser River at Skuzzy Rapids,
China Bar, Hellgate and White Creek,’. in Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries,
British Columbia, 1913, p. R39; also pp. R20 et seg; also Report for 1914, p. N20.

FISHWAYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 7

The effect of this obstruction during 1913-14 will not be fully
known until after the runs of 1917-18, but it appears safe to predict
that the results will be found to be ofa very serious character.*

Sufficient has now been said to prove the great importance of
providing satisfactory ingress and egress for the salmon. At the
present time the salmon that escape capture on the fishing grounds
have, save for natural obstructions, such as are caused by falls too
steep to be surmounted, an unobstructed passage-way from the sea
to the remotest sections of the water-sheds of the large streams;
there are, moreover, practically no canals diverting from the main
channels. It is absolutely essential for the life of the salmon industry
in British Columbia that adequate and practically workable provisions
be made and maintained for the safeguarding of the salmon—both
adult and young—in connection with the granting of any rights or
privileges for the damming of streams, for the diversion of water for
power, irrigation, or other activities involving the use of the inland
waters.

It is not possible here, nor is it the intention, to enter upon an
extended discussion of the ways and means by which the integrity
of inland waters may be preserved for the propagation of fish life.
It is, however, necessary to direct special attention to the need of
providing and maintaining a class of structure which has been alto-
gether too much neglected, viz., fishways.

An excellent summary, respecting the general principles that
should find exemplification in the construction of fishways, is con-
tained in a statement prepared by the architect and engineer of the
United States Board of Fisheries:

“With the development in late years of water-power for commer-
cial enterprises on an economic basis, with the construction of canals
for cheapening the transportation of freight, with the proposition of
irrigating the otherwise waste lands of the country—all of which im-
provements call for the erection of dams across our rivers—the steady
decrease of fish life in the waters above said dams or other obstructions
has become more and more apparent, and the question has presented
itself how to enable the fish to ascend to the headwaters of rivers, in
order to reach their spawning grounds for the propagation of their
kind, or to follow their migratory habits in search of food as heretofore.
This question is being best met by the construction of suitable fishways.

* Information has come to hand indicating the character of the salmon run
of 1917, and the indications appear clearly to justify the apprehension entertained in
1913 respecting the serious results caused by the rock slide, and which results, it
was held, would later be manifested.

8 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION

“The underlying principle in the construction of fishways is the
retardation of the current velocity of a waterfall so as to enable fish
to surmount it. Innumerable devices with that end in view have been
invented and proved more or less successful. Certain physical con-
ditions in the location and a proper method of construction are the
important factors.

“Of the physical conditions, the two principal ones are (1) acces-
sibility of the fishway free from disturbance, its outlet being located in
a pool at the bottom of the falls where fish would naturally pass in
ascending the river, and (2) an abundant discharge of water through
the outlet so as to attract the fish. It is to be noted that fish as a rule:
do not ascend rivers at low-water stage, but between mean and high-
water, and preferably during sunshine and warm weather.

“In style of construction fishways may be classed in four systems:

“I. The inclined plane system, in which a series of baffle or
deflecting plates are so arranged in an inclined flume as to cause the
water to follow in its descent a long sinuous route.

“II. The pool and fall or step system, in which the water is
brought down to a lower level by a series of short falls with intervening

pools.

“III. The counter current system, in which the descending
volume of water is being checked by meeting a current opposing it at
certain intervals.

“IV. The lock and gate system, in which a higher or lower
level is reached through one or more locks operated by gates.

“Tn all four systems of fishways certain general rules governing
the construction must be observed.

“1, The slope of a fishway built on the inclined plane system
should not be steeper than 1 foot vertical to 10 feet horizontal; the
pool and fall system, as well as the counter current system, should not
have a slope of more than 1 vertical to 4 horizontal, so as to insure a
current velocity of not exceeding 10 feet per second in any portion
of the fishway. The lock and gate system deals merely with a vertical
lift. The width of a fishway somewhat governs the slope, and the
wider the fishway the more gradual the slope should be.

“2. The available volume of water and the size of the fish must
be considered in the dimensions adopted for the fishway; small fish,
like herring, bass, trout, etc., may not require over 6 inches in the
clear at the narrowest points or openings in the fishway, while for large
fish, like shad, rockfish, salmon, etc., the clearance spaces should not
be less than 9 inches in any direction.

“3, A fishway for small fish does not need to be more than 2 feet
wide by about 1 foot deep, while that for large fish ought to have a
least width of 4 feet with a depth correspondingly large.

“A, Plenty of light should be admitted in a fishway, both for

FISHWAYS IN BRiTISH COLUMBIA 9

maintaining therein the natural conditions of the water, and in order
that the interior may easily be inspected and any foreign matter
removed.

“5. A fishway in all its parts should, by the action of the current
of water passing through it, be as nearly as possible, self-cleaning of all
sand, gravel, mud, and rubbish.

“6. The water supply of a fishway should be ample and the same,
or nearly so, at both ordinary high and low water stages, avoiding
thereby any regulating gates or other devices calling for the services
of an attendant.

“7. The top and sides of a fishway should be above ordinary
high water.

“8. The fishway should be built very strong and be well pro-
tected against the destructive effects of freshets, drift logs, ice, etc.

“9. The intake and outlet should be well submerged and the
former protected against floating debris, etc., by a suitable grating.

“The location of a fishway must be such that ascending fish will
not be alarmed and driven off by disturbance from boats, fishermen,
etc. . : +

“The material of fishways may be wood, stone, concrete, or iron,
depending opon the construction of the dam, its size, the topography
and nature of the site, the labour and material at hand, and the
funds available.’’*

It is not the intention here to discuss the merits of various fish-
ways, but it is desired most emphatically to point out that great
difficulty will be experienced in providing and maintaining satisfactory
fishways in power dams of considerable height, say above 25 or 30
feet.

The United States Bureau of Fisheries is alive to the fact that
the fisheries of the country have suffered by reason of inadequate
provision being made for the fish to overcome obstructions in streams.
With commendable enterprise the Bureau had commenced an exten-
sive investigation involving observations and experiments to determine
the efficiency of all fishways now in use. The research, owing to
present exigencies, has been temporarily suspended.

The Bureau appears to have accepted as a basic doctrine, where
matters of advantage or disadvantage are being considered in connec-
tion with dams and the construction and maintenance of fishways,
that any benefit of doubt should properly be given to the fish; and,

* Consult Féshways, by H. Von Bayer, C.E., a paper presented before the Fourth
International Fishways Congress, held at Washington, U.S.A., Sept. 22-26, 1908.

10 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION

further, the Bureau maintains that if fish of known migratory habit
are present and, presumably, obstructed to such a degree as to make a
fishway desirable, the asserted impracticability of fishway construction
is not to be accepted from anyone without strong affirmative evidence.

This Bureau has stated that it has no knowledge of fishways in
the United States that successfully pass salmon over dams more than
20 feet in height, and that doubtless there are few fishways really
successful for dams over 12 feet in height, even for the salmon.*

The State of Washington, bordering British Columbia on the
south, has experienced difficulty in providing suitable fishways. In
this State, conditions on many of the salmon streams are similar to
those in British Columbia, and power dams have been constructed
100 feet or more in height. It is instructive to note the experience
and conclusion of the Department of Fisheries and Game of the State
of Washington, as communicated in a letter by the State Fish Com-
missioner and Chief Game Warden, Mr. L. H. Darwin. Mr. Darwin
comments upon the difficulties of providing satisfactory fishways in
very high dams, but entertains hope that the difficulties may yet be
solved and fishways satisfactory in operation be devised.

It has been found that a fishway is practically useless unless its
entrance is where the fish can easily find it, and, in order to bring the
entrance to the fishway into the waters at the foot of a high dam, it is
usually necessary to curve the fishway. Such a fishway is an ex-
pensive matter, concrete construction being, for high dams, the only
really satisfactory method, and the best rule laid down does not permit

* The United States Bureau of Fisheries has stated that it lacks information
respecting the efficient operation of any existing fishway in the United States at dams
more than 20 feet in height. It is claimed, however, that fish have, by means of
fishways, satisfactorily surmounted dams 40 feet or more in height. The Bureau
has kindly furnished a memorandum of some of the instances for which such claim
is made. These, as reported by Mr. Carl D. Shoemaker, game warden of the State
of Oregon, are as follows:

‘“‘A ladder giving excellent satisfaction is located in the Dee river, Hood River
county. This ladder has been used entirely by trout, principally of the cutthroat
variety. It is about two hundred feet long and rises about fifty feet.

“At the Ray Gold dam, on the Rogue river, we have another ladder about
forty feet high, which is used also by salmon and steelheads. The fish pass over the
ladders in the Rogue river very easily.”

As reported by John J. Lenihan, Fish Commissioner of the State of Wyoming:
‘The only one (fishway) that seems to successfully pass fish over a dam is located
in Snake river, near Jackson lake. This dam is about fifty feet high. Fish can be
observed Passing over it during the months of June and July, same being of the black-
spotted species.”

A fishway, which is stated by Mr. T. Rouault, Jr., Game and Fish Warden of
New Mexico, to work very successfully, is located at the reservoir owned by the
Santa Fe Light and Power Company, on the Santa Fe river. The height of the dam
was not given.

FISHWAYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA il

a fall of more than one foot in ten for the inclined plane system or one
in four in the pool and fall system, which latter must be adopted for
high dams. Another point to be taken into consideration is the
immense amount of strength which the fish must possess to make a
long ascent. In the natural streams they have pools or eddies in which
they can rest; and even though an attempt is made to reproduce these
in the fishways, it is questionable if they are as satisfactory as in the
natural streams. In order to provide better facilities for safeguarding
the fishing interests than are afforded by fishways for high dams the
Department of Fisheries and Game of the State of Washington permits
and encourages owners of high dams to build a hatchery at the foot of
the dams instead of constructing a fishway. This is in accordance
with the established policy of the state, to acquire a hatchery on every
salmon stream.

In Canada, both Federal and Provincial legislation has been
enacted to safeguard the inland fisheries and to provide for the con-
struction of fishways. The chief difficulty, however, as far as fishways
are concerned, is that too frequently proper fishways are not provided,
and that such as are provided are allowed to fall into disuse. The
Dominion Fisheries Act* explicitly provides that fishways shall be
built wherever the Minister of Marine and Fisheries determines
they are necessary.t It says:

“1. Every slide, dam or other obstruction across or in any
stream, where the Minister determines it to be necessary for the public
interest that a fish-pass should exist, shall be provided by the owner or
occupier with a durable and efficient fishway, or canal around the
slide, dam or other obstruction, which shall be maintained in a good
and effective condition by said owner or occupier, in such place and of
such form and capacity as will, in the opinion of the Minister, satis-
factorily permit the free passage of fish through the same. R.S., s: 46.

“2. The place, form and capacity of the fishway or canal shall
be prescribed by any fishery officer by notice in writing. R.S., s. 46,
ss. 2.

“3, Every fishway and canal shall be kept open and unobstructed
and shall be supplied with such sufficient quantity of water as the
Minister considers necessary to enable the fish frequenting the waters
in which such fishway or canalis placed to pass through the same

* The Fisheries Act, 1914, R.S., c. 45, s. 1.

+ The Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries in British Columbia, Mr. John P.
Babcock, has had an excellent fishway, approximating as nearly as practicable to
the conditions of nature, cut in the rock at the side of the falls on the Meziadin river,
Nass River watershed. The cost of this fishway was defrayed by the Dominion
Department of Marine and Fisheries. See ‘The Fishway at Meziadin Fall,’ in
the Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries, British Columbia, for 1913, pp. R51-52.

12 cal OF CONSERVATION

during such times as are specified by any fishery officer. R.S., s. 46,
ss. 3.

“4, The Minister may authorize the payment of one-half of
the expense incurred by such owner or. occupier in constructing and
maintaining any fishway or canal; and after a fishway or canal which
has been duly approved by the Minister has been built at the cost of
the owner or occupier of any slide, dam or other obstruction, or after
such owner or occupier has paid one-half the cost thereof and such
fishway or canal there after proves to be ineffective, the total cost of
any change in such fishway or canal or any new fishway or canal re-
‘qu:red to enable the fish to pass by such slide, dam or other obstruc-
tion, shall be paid by His Majesty. R.S., s. 46, ss. 4.

‘5. The Minister, in order to procure the construction of any
-fishway or canal, pending proceedings against any owner or occupier
for the penalty imposed by this Act, may make and complete the same
forthwith, and may authorize any person to enter upon the premises
with the necessary workmen, means and materials for such purpose,
and may recover from the owner or occupier the whole expense so
incurred by action in the name of His Majesty. R.S.,s. 46, ss. 5.

‘6, Where unused slides, dams, obstructions, or anything detri-
mental to fish exist, and the owner or occupier thereof does not, after
notice, given by the Minister, remove the same, or the owner is not
resident in Canada, or his exact place of residence is unknown to the
Minister, the Minister may, without being liable to damages, or in
any way to indemnify the said owner or occupier, cause said slide, dam,
obstruction, or thing detrimental to fish life to be removed or destroyed
and in cases where notice has been given to the owner or occupier, may
recover from said owner or occupier the expense of so removing or
destroying the same.”

.

The British Columbia Water Act, 1914, Section 35, states:
“Proper provision shall be made by every licensee to the satisfaction
of the Comptroller....for the erection and maintenance by the licensee
of a durable and efficient fishway in the stream or other waterway
affected by the works.”’

Suitable fishways require comparatively little water. The
periods during which they should be kept full vary somewhat with the
habits of the fish. The fishway season does not coincide with the
low-water season of the winter months and hence in this respect
conflicts comparatively little with power development.

While in this discussion reference has been made specifically to
the salmon in connection with the streams of the Pacific drainage
basin, it should be borne in mind that other fish of migratory habit
require consideration where dams might seriously interfere with their
passage. In addition to the salmon, there are trout, sturgeon, shad,

FISHWAYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 13

common eel, smelt, striped bass, eulachon and lampreys, and possibly
suckers and large fish of the carp and minnow family, which also, re-
quire consideration.

The absence of suitable and efficient fishways, properly main-
tained, is a very decided loss to the fisheries of any province, and more
especially, perhaps, is this true in the case of salmon fisheries. It
may be commented that the loss viewed solely from the standpoint
of the tourist traffic may be a serious one. Baedeker’s Guide says that
“every salmon caught by tourists in the Maritime Provinces involves
expenditure in the country of from $25 to $35.”

Respecting the maintenance of an unobstructed passageway for
the seaward migration of the young salmon the problem is different.

As yet no practical device has been found that will satisfactorily
prevent young fish from entering irrigation ditches and canals leading
to power plants. Even the clearest streams carry an amount of
vegetable matter and debris sufficient to clog any screen having mesh
small enough to prevent the passage of young salmon. Fish passing
into irrigation canals are, of course, eventually destroyed.

In the case of power plants, the problem varies with the character
of the development. If a direct fall, in a state of nature, was sufficient,
to hold back the salmon, it might not be always necessary, when a
dam is constructed, to make provision for the salmon, per se, unless
it be desired to open up new spawning grounds. Where the power
development is a low head proposition, means for the passage of the.
young fish downstream may be provided without serious difficulty.
The fish may in many instances, without hurt, pass over the spillways
if sufficient water is flowing over same, but otherwise special means of
passage will be necessary.

A more difficult problem is presented in connection with high
head developments. If a low intake dam is utilized, and there is, at
the proper season of the year, ample water flowing over the spillways,
probably the young fish will pass downstream without hurt; and,
with a suitable arrangement for the intake, few, if any, will pass into
the power flumes. If, however, the head is concentrated by a high
dam, or the intake dam constitutes a storage dam where little water is
wasted—all passing through the power turbines—the young fish
certainly would not survive a journey through the contracted passages
of high head turbines. The amount of risk incurred by the fish in
passage over a spillway of a high dam would, of course, depend upon
its character. An ameliorating condition lies in the fact that the bulk

14 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION

of the young salmon descend the streams at times of high water, when
usually there is ample water passing over the spillways. There is
need for further investigations of this problem.

Water-power development may also conflict with fishing interests
by the destruction of spawning grounds through the manipulation of
the levels of lakes used as storage reservoirs. When lake levels are
raised the margin of the lake, up to the proposed flowage line, should
be stripped of tree growth and underbrush to facilitate the formation
of new beaches and maintain the healthy condition of the water. -
Here again, the question of clearing becomes one of weighing advan-
tages and disadvantages, but it is doubtful if any of the supposed
advantages derivable from power development will offset the des-
truction of the source of one of our important supplies of food. Cer-
tainly, with intelligent regulation and forceful administration, the
streams of the Province should not only continue to produce vast
numbers of salmon, but the supply may be greatly increased. In
fact, our supplies must be increased. Recording their conclusions,
some of the members of the special committee appointed to investigate
the fishing industry of the State of Washington report:

“We find that civilization, and all of the activities of civilization,
have a very serious effect in diminishing the natural propagation of
fish. We find that young fish that are hatched in rivers tributary to
irrigation ditches, in their journey to the sea are led, to a large extent,
into irrigation canals and are thus destroyed. We find also that the
sawdust from the mills, both in salt and fresh waters, is destructive
of the young salmon and to the salmon eggs, and that various other
agencies of modern civilization tend to the destruction of the young
fish before they reach their maturity.’’*

In view of the facts above presented, it is evident that no de-
velopment for power or irrigation should be permitted on any of the
salmon streams without fully safeguarding the fishing industry.

* Annual Reports of the State Fish Commissioner, State of Washington, De-
partment of Fisheries and Game, 1911-1912, pp. 36.

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